Letting go, a little bit at a time

Over the last few years a growing sense of feeling incomplete had stalked a young man, who decided to travel the world in the hope of finding someone, something, to help him release the great, but still latent forces he knew lived in his heart. After settling in at a small hostel, he went walking through an expansive outdoor bazaar where hundreds of artisans displayed their works. Coming upon an open gate, he peered inside and saw a young woman pulling a little hammer out of her apron pocket, while walking towards a large stone that was perched on a work pedestal. After careful examination of one small area she rapped it just once with her small hammer. Suddenly dozens of small pieces of stone broke away. At first he thought she made a mistake and had cracked the whole stone; a moment later he knew otherwise.

She had not ruined the stone; instead, she had not only uncovered a beautiful white marble-like material, but had shaped it to resemble the graceful neck of a great swan. He was stunned. What magic was this? He longed to know.

“Please forgive me but how in the world did you do that with a single blow from your tiny hammer?” he asked, entering the courtyard.

“Oh, I am guessing you have only been there for the last few minutes. Before you came, I had delivered hundreds of similar small blows to the exact same spot on that stone. You saw the result of many days of careful work coupled with a special kind of quiet consideration.”

As they shared a smile and said goodbye, the young man knew he had learned an important secret: With consistent attention and persistent effort you can release whatever now stands between you and the freedom for which your heart seeks.